Non-Circular Fire Sprinkler Deflector for Flue Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fire suppression systems face challenges in warehouse settings where storage items are tightly stacked, making it difficult for water from fire sprinklers to reach fires due to narrow flues, and existing systems struggle to produce larger water droplet sizes and increased discharge velocity without increasing pressure and the number of supply lines.
Innovation Solution
A fire sprinkler system with a non-circular conical spray pattern, where the minor diameter is between 15% and 67% of the major diameter, allowing for fewer supply lines and reduced pressure, while effectively delivering water into narrow flues to combat fires in warehouse settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fire sprinklers use conventional circular spray patterns, then water is dispersed uniformly in all directions, but water cannot effectively penetrate narrow flues between tightly stacked storage items in warehouses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by changing the spray pattern from a conventional circular shape to a non-circular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. This asymmetric spray pattern concentrates water flow along the vertical axis, enabling effective penetration into narrow flues between storage items while maintaining adequate horizontal coverage.
2Productivity
If fire sprinklers increase water discharge velocity and droplet size to improve fire control, then fire suppression effectiveness improves, but supply line pressure and diameter must increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating water flow and energy in specific directions (vertically along the flues) rather than dispersing it uniformly in all directions. The non-circular spray pattern creates localized high-velocity streams targeted at the flues where fires are most likely to occur, improving fire control effectiveness without requiring increased supply line pressure across the entire system.
3Area of stationary object
If fire sprinklers are installed close to each other to improve coverage, then fire suppression coverage improves, but the risk of cold soldering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-circular, vertically elongated spray pattern allows sprinklers to be spaced farther apart horizontally while maintaining effective coverage. The concentrated vertical streams penetrate deep into flues between storage items, providing reliable fire suppression without requiring dense sprinkler spacing that would increase cold soldering risk.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves improved fire suppression by delivering maximum water amounts with larger droplet sizes and increased velocity, effectively penetrating narrow flues and containing fires in warehouse settings with reduced installation and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
The deflector redirects the water jet into thin streams or 'ligaments' that break up into droplets due to surface tension
Implementation Method 2
cooling the surrounding air through evaporation and displacing air with inert water vapor
Data Source
AI summary
A fire sprinkler of the preferred embodiments includes a frame, a trigger, and a deflector. The frame defines a duct to exhaust the flow of a fire suppressing or extinguishing substance, and includes a fastener to fasten the frame to a supply line. The trigger blocks the flow of the fire suppressing or extinguishing substance through the duct during a first mode, and permits the flow of the fire suppressing or extinguishing substance during a second mode. The deflector redirects the flow of the fire suppressing or extinguishing substance into a coverage area. The deflector also at least partially shields the trigger from the dispersal of a fire suppressing or extinguishing substance from an adjacent fire sprinkler and prevents a failure of the trigger.